Chile 1778-So DA 8 reales
This specimen was lot 32034 in Heritage sale 3135 (Pittsburgh, September 2026), where it sold for $23,180. The catalog description[1] noted, "Chile: Stunning Chilean Trophy. Charles III 8 Reales 1778 So-DA AU55 NGC, Santiago mint. A behemoth of not only Chilean numismatics, but for all Spanish colonial issues on the whole, where Santiago-minted portrait issues are already notoriously scarce, but those of the 1778 date are largely unknown, receiving the coveted "RRR" rating by Calico and purportedly unique or with incredibly few extant. A modicum of wear is discernible on the high points along with some circulation hits that cap the grade in the mid-AU range. Nevertheless, silvery cabinet toning that intensifies towards the peripherals helps to make this one-of-a-kind at NGC a treat, visually. Auction records for the type are minimal at best, with this particular date eluding even the greatest collections of Latin America: Norweb, Lissner, Millennia, Tarapaca. Ex. Privately purchased from Paul Karon; Alamiro de Auila Martel Collection; Rafael Ortonez Pumarino Collection. From the Grundy Collection of Latin American and Spanish Coins." Despite what seems to be a fairly substantial recorded mintage and nearly continuous production during 1773-89, Santiago portrait eight reales of Charles III are almost as scarce as pillar dollars from that mint. This date is listed as rare even for this scarce type.
Recorded mintage: 74,000.
Specification: 27.07 g, 0.903 fine silver, 41 mm diameter, decorated edge.
Catalog reference: Cayón-12059, KM 31, Elizondo-24, Cal-1211 (RRR).
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 1, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- Elizondo, Carlos A., Eight Reales and Pesos of the New World, San Antonio, TX: 1968.
- Harris, Robert P., Pillars & Portraits, San José, CA: Bonanza Press, 1968.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2026 September 1 - 5 ANA World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction #3135, featuring The Vila Rica Collection of Brazilian Gold Coins, Part II, and The Grundy Collection of Latin American and Spanish Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2026.
- Raymond, Wayte, The Silver Dollars of North and South America, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1964.
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